On Saturday, January 3, 2009, Bill Grams will give a sermon, titled, respectively, “Cosigning Pitfalls.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

I am writing this editorial on “Christmas day,” as I was pondering if there is really joy in the world at this time? I hardly think so.

There has been a real economic downturn this past year, affecting most of us. The US government finally admitted what we already knew–that the USA has been in a recession for the last year. Wall Street is bankrupt, corruption and overspending are rampant, and the US government pumps hundreds of billions of dollars into financial institutions and the auto industry that were making bad and irresponsible decisions for their clients. Our financial experts have seemingly not learned the lesson of history that we cannot spend our way out of debt.   

Can you imagine what you would have to face if you were in a situation many banks and the auto industry are in? If you were to go to a bank to ask for a bailout for your stupidity, they would laugh themselves into a frenzy and that is just before throwing you out. We cannot break all the financial laws of economics and expect a good result in the end.

Billions have been lost in the value of stocks, and many have been totally wiped out financially by the recent fifty billion dollars scam on Wall Street. This was the deed of an unscrupulous trader affecting both the investments of individuals and corporations.

The price of oil is down over a hundred dollars a barrel from just over six months ago, because of lower demands and higher unemployment figures.

If there is even a road to recovery, especially for the USA, Great Britain and Canada, it would be very slow, with some analysts predicting it will not happen, if at all, until 2010 or much later.

These are just some few issues dealing with the economy. I have not even touched on the hundreds or thousands of additional problems which threaten and plague humanity.

What does all of this mean for Christians, living in this world? It means we have to be careful that we don’t get ourselves in over our heads financially. This is also true for the Church. The Church still has the responsibility of preaching and publishing the gospel–the good news of the soon-coming Kingdom of God–and to feed the flock (compare Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:10 and John 21:17). We do so, as the Church, by using the generous tithes and offerings of brethren and co-workers in a responsible manner, in walking through doors which God opens for us, spending what we have, but not, what we don’t have.

Individually, we must apply the same caution. Most importantly, we are to continue to grow in grace and knowledge (compare 2 Peter 3:18). We grow the most on our knees, while our heart is in the Work of God, realizing that nothing could be more crucial than to help hastening the coming of the Lord. We accomplish this through God’s Spirit, using the tools of prayer, Bible study, fasting and meditation.

Just what will 2009 bring? Joy, happiness and a sense of well being for mankind?  I hardly think so. 2009 will bring, in all likelihood, more of the same problems we faced in 2008, with increasing intensity, and with no viable human solution in sight. In all of this, we must not lose heart, knowing that our salvation is nearer than when we came to the faith. We are one year closer to the real solution of all of the world’s problems, as well as our own, and that is the return of Christ. We have to put our shoulders to the wheel and push forward, and not look back.

In the end we win, yet there is no promise that we won’t have trials and difficulties. But it’s all worth the effort. Like a woman who was in travail prior to giving birth, her pain is forgotten for the joy of bringing another human being into the world. We must look to the future when there will be great joy, true happiness and fulfillment in God’s Kingdom–when we will be Spirit beings–born-again sons and daughters in God’s very Family.

That is a goal worth waiting for and worth working towards. It is the only hope for all of our problems and trials.

WAR in the Middle East

Deutsche Welle reported on December 28, 2008:

“Ruprecht Polenz, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the German parliament called on Barack Obama to place the Middle East high on his agenda when he takes office on Jan. 20. ‘Obama can’t allow himself to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors Bush and Clinton who both paid attention to Israel and Palestine only towards the end of their respective terms,’ Polenz told the Rheinische Post… But Obama gave no hint of future US policy on the Mideast conflict. His national security spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson told the Guardian newspaper Obama would make no comment, saying he was sticking to the formula that there should be ‘one president at a time’…

“The latest violence has stoked fears in the European Union, one of Israel’s most important foreign partners as well as the largest donor of aid to the Palestinian territories… EU High Representative Javier Solana on Saturday condemned as ‘unacceptable’ the death of Palestinian civilians in the Israeli air strikes and called for an immediate end to the violence…

“The deadly Israeli air strikes have triggered sharp condemnation around the world with bodies such as the United Nations and Amnesty International calling on armed Palestinians groups and Israeli forces to immediately end their fighting. The violence has also prompted rallies across the Middle East to protest Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and to show support for Palestinians caught in the attacks.”

Welt-On-Line added on December 28 that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “blamed Hamas, which seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in 2007, for triggering Israel’s raids by not extending the ceasefire that Egypt brokered in June…”

War in the Middle East–Iran Gets Officially Involved

Haaretz.com stated on December 28:

“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday, ordering them to defend Palestinians against Israel’s attacks on Gaza, state television said. ‘All Palestinian combatants and all the Islamic world’s pious people are obliged to defend the defenceless women, children and people in Gaza in any way possible. Whoever is killed in this legitimate defense is considered a martyr,’ state television quoted Khamenei as saying in a statement… Khamenei also criticized some Arab governments for their ‘encouraging silence’ towards the Israel’s raids on Gaza…

“In Damascus, Syria, Hamas’ top leader, Khaled Meshal, called on Palestinians to rekindle their fight against Israel and renew suicide bombings against Israeli targets. ‘This is the time for a third Intifada,’ he said…”

War in the Middle East–“Don’t Forget the Iranian Connection”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 29:

“Hizbullah is an Iranian creation. Hamas is not. But it has drawn itself increasingly into Iran’s orbit. Much of its imported weaponry, and the expertise with which it now produces and refines its own rockets, have been provided by Iran. Dozens of its commanders have been trained in Iran in recent years, coming home and disseminating that ‘education’ as Hamas has built an army in Gaza. And, increasingly too, Hamas has come to act in the service of Iran’s aims… Iran is inspiring, funding, arming and training Hamas. Iran is avowedly committed to Israel’s destruction, and regards Hamas as a tool toward this goal.

“The same Iran, via an emboldened Hizbullah, is now most of the way to achieving proxy control not merely of southern Lebanon, but all of Lebanon. The same Iran, already armed with missiles that can reach Israel, is extending its missile range to Europe and, it hopes, ultimately to North America… And that same Iran is moving ever closer to the nuclear capability it intends to use in the service of its goals.”

War in the Middle East–Hamas’ and Iran’s Fight Against Christianity

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 25:

“Both Iran and its Hamas proxy in Gaza have been busy this Christmas week showing Christendom just what they think of it. But no one seems to have noticed. On Tuesday, Hamas legislators marked the Christmas season by passing a Shari’a criminal code for the Palestinian Authority. Among other things, it legalizes crucifixion.

“Hamas’s endorsement of nailing enemies of Islam to crosses came at the same time it renewed its jihad. Here, too, Hamas wanted to make sure that Christians didn’t feel neglected as its fighters launched missiles at Jewish day care centers and schools. So on Wednesday, Hamas lobbed a mortar shell at the Erez crossing point into Israel just as a group of Gazan Christians were standing on line waiting to travel to Bethlehem for Christmas.

“While Hamas joyously renewed its jihad against Jews and Christians, its overlords in Iran also basked in jihadist triumphalism. The source of Teheran’s sense of ascendancy this week was Britain’s Channel 4 network’s decision to request that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad give a special Christmas Day address to the British people. Ahmadinejad’s speech was supposed to be a response to Queen Elizabeth II’s traditional Christmas Day address to her subjects. That is, Channel 4 presented his message as a reasonable counterpoint to the Christmas greetings of the head of the Church of England…

“The reason that the West remains ignorant of the views and goals of the likes of Hamas and Iran is not that the latter have hidden their views and goals. It is because the leading political leaders and foreign policy practitioners in the West refuse to listen to them and deny the significance of their actions… The fact that Hamas itself is wholly dedicated to Israel’s destruction and Islamic global domination is irrelevant [to them]…

“MUSLIMS AREN’T the only ones whose views and actions are dismissed as irrelevant by these foreign policy wise men… Take Iran’s principal Asian ally, North Korea, for example. This week North Korea’s official news agency threatened to destroy South Korea in a ‘sea of fire,’ and ‘reduce everything treacherous and anti-reunification to debris and build an independent, reunified country on it,’ if any country dares to attack its nuclear installations. North Korea made its threat two weeks after Kim Jung Il’s regime disengaged from its fraudulent disarmament talks with the Bush administration.

“After Pyongyang agreed in February 2007 to eventually come clean on its plutonium installations (but not its uranium enrichment programs), and to account for its nuclear arsenal (but not for its proliferation activities), Rice convinced President Bush to remove North Korea from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terror and to end its subjection to the US’s Trading with the Enemy Act this past October. And then, after securing those massive US concessions, on December 11 Pyongyang renounced its commitments, walked away from the table and now threatens to destroy South Korea if anyone takes any action against it.”

War in the Middle East–Israel’s Big Gamble

The New York Times wrote on December 28:

“The risk to Israel in Gaza [seems to be] that if the operation fails or leaves Hamas in the position of scrappy survivor or even somehow perceived victor, it could then dominate Palestinian politics… Since Hamas, like Hezbollah, is committed to Israel’s destruction, that could pose a formidable strategic challenge. And despite unwavering expressions of support for Israel from President-elect Barack Obama during his campaign, Israel is also gambling that its aggressive military posture will not alienate the new administration…

“[On] the Jewish Sabbath and the first day of the Arab workweek, Israel struck… Few have focused on the fact that at this stage in the 2006 Lebanon war, there was the same satisfaction — before things turned disastrous.”

War in the Middle East–“‘The World’ Must Bring Peace!”

Deutsche Welle reported on December 28:

“Hamas and Israel are making the same old mistakes all over again because the latest attacks won’t solve anything… Unless there’s a miracle, this is the perfect situation for a further escalation which would have unforeseen consequences…

“Israel is committing a cardinal mistake by believing it can wipe out Hamas with a military operation. Just as it thought it could disarm Hezbollah two and a half years ago. The massive attack on Lebanon at the time instead bombed Hezbollah into the government and the same thing could happen with Hamas in Palestine…

“But the frustrated and battered Palestinians as well as Hamas are making a huge mistake too by hoping that Hamas’ uncompromising stance will lead to a solution or deliverance. Hamas’ vehement rejection of Israel’s right to exist cannot be a foundation for peace…

“The world can no longer afford to sit back and watch. If international troops can be mobilized for the fight against terrorists and pirates, then the world should be able to do more in Palestine than simply pay lip service. At least in order to prevent the worst if not to bring peace.”

War in the Middle East–European Reactions

Deutsche Welle reported on December 28:

“European newspapers criticized both Hamas and Israel for the eruption of violence… there was general agreement that the recent attacks will do nothing to further peace in the Middle East… The Salzburger Nachrichten doubted that Israel’s military action would provide some type of resolution to the conflict in the Middle East…  Luxembourg’s Wort newspaper… saw the swift attacks as sending a signal to Iran about Israel’s strength. ‘While both movements are politically and logistically supported by Teheran, Israel’s action on Sabbath was a clear signal to Iran. In less than three minutes, 200 Hamas installations had been damaged…'”

War in the Middle East–Germany Willing to Help Find Peace

Deutsche Welle reported on December 31:

“In her New Year’s address, Chancellor Angela Merkel blamed the radical Palestinian movement Hamas for the latest flare-up with Israel and said Germany would do all it could to promote peace in the Middle East… In her address, Merkel said that ‘the terror perpetrated by Hamas is unacceptable.'”

War in the Middle East… Continuing…

The Associated Press reported on December 31:

“Israel rejected international pressure to suspend its air offensive against Palestinian militants whose rocket barrages are striking close to the Israeli heartland, sending warplanes Wednesday to demolish smuggling tunnels that are the lifeline of Gaza’s Islamic Hamas rulers… Calls for an immediate cease-fire have also come from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia… Underlying the Israeli decision to keep fighting are the mightier weapons that Hamas has smuggled into Gaza through underground tunnels along the border with Egypt.”

War in the Middle East–Escalating…

The Associated Press reported on January 1, 2009:

“Israel dropped a one-ton bomb on the home of a Hamas strongman Thursday, killing him along with two wives and four children in the first attack on the top leadership of Gaza’s rulers. As the aerial bombardment escalated, the army said it was also poised to launch a ground invasion…

“Israel has made clear that no one in Hamas is immune in this offensive… Israeli warplanes have carried out some 500 sorties against Hamas targets, and helicopters have flown hundreds more combat missions… More than 400 Gazans have been killed and some 1,700 have been wounded… The U.N. says the death toll includes more than 60 civilians, 34 of them children.

“Three Israeli civilians and one soldier have also died in rocket attacks that have reached deeper into Israel than ever before, bringing one-eighth of the population within rocket range.

“Throughout the day, huge blasts had rocked cities and towns across Gaza as Israeli warplanes went after Gaza’s parliament building, militant field operatives, police and cars… So far, the campaign to crush rocket fire on southern Israel has been conducted largely from the air. But military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich said preparations for a ground operation were complete…

“Thousands of soldiers were massed along the border with Gaza, backed by tanks and artillery… Israeli Cabinet ministers have been unswayed by international calls to end the violence… Instead, they authorized the military to push ahead with its campaign against militants… Ordinary Israelis are not eager to see the operation expand beyond the air-based campaign, a poll Thursday showed…”

War in the Middle East–Has Israel Failed to Learn from History?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 31:

“Israel has promised a ‘war to the bitter end.’ Yet history is full of examples showing that battling an organization like Hamas is almost futile…

“Planes have targeted mosques because Israel thinks they are being used to cache weapons; apartment blocks where high-ranking Hamas members live have been destroyed, almost guaranteeing civilian casualties. The university was destroyed because it espoused the Hamas ideology. Each one of these targets presents a dilemma — and the images they create are unhelpful to Israel…

“It is also unclear that the offensive brings Israel a single step closer to its ultimate goal of eliminating Hamas entirely. Indeed, the more intense the Israeli bombing campaign has become, the more Palestinian rockets have flown across the border into Israel. Hamas may be briefly weakened as its commanders are knocked off and its weapons depots destroyed. But, in the long run, it is difficult to see Hamas not benefiting the same way Hezbollah benefited from the 2006 war. Their aura as resistance fighters can only be strengthened.

“… in 2006, one of the primary criticisms was that Israel had not sufficiently defined its war aims before marching into southern Lebanon. ‘War to the bitter end,’ certainly doesn’t sound any more precise.”

War in the Middle East–“Israel Has Left the Peace Process in Ruins”

The Telegraph wrote on December 31:

“All… changed on Saturday when Israel launched Operation Cast Lead. The name refers to a lead spinning top played with by children during the Jewish winter festival of Hannukah, but there was nothing playful about the military assault… This was not a strike solely against the infrastructure of Hamas… Operation Cast Lead was intended to kill as many Hamas members as possible, which is why it was ordered in the middle of a working day…

“Why send in the bombers in December 2008, when rockets have been landing in Israel for eight years? It had been six months since the last Israeli fatality. What led the Israeli military-political elite to choose this month to order a sustained attack? The answer is quite simple. Israelis go to the polls in February and it is this that is driving this operation… Israeli voters like strong leaders…

“Talks between Syria and Israel, brokered by Turkey, have now been called off… It is hard to exaggerate how disappointing this is. Britain has long argued that the key to peace in the Holy Land lies on the road to Damascus. Syria is a key sponsor not just of Hamas but of Hizbollah…

“One of President Bush’s more clumsy foreign policy decisions was to isolate Syria for most of his presidency, but in the past two years he has given the green light for rapprochement. From that decision have flowed delicate talks and the hope that Damascus could be persuaded to deal a mortal blow to both Hizbollah and Hamas by turning off the funds, arms and support it has provided them with for years.

“As the smoke continues to rise over Gaza, the tragic truth is that the hopes of wider peace in the Middle East also now lie in ashes.”

War Between India and Pakistan “Cannot Be Ruled Out”

World-On-Line wrote on December 27:

“War between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan over last month’s militant attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai is seen as highly unlikely. Nevertheless, with tension rising and troops moving to the border, conflict between the neighbours who have fought three wars since 1947 cannot be ruled out… Experts say millions of people would be killed on both sides in exchanges of nuclear weapons.”

For the First Time–Army Phone Hotline Between Russia and China

BBC News reported on December 29:

“A new military hotline between Beijing and Moscow has been used for the first time, according to reports in the Chinese state media… The phone link is designed for ‘timely communication on significant issues’. Efforts to set up a similar hotline, mainly for use during crises, between Beijing and Washington appear to have stalled, correspondents say…

“Put simply, the Chinese can now pick up the phone when there is a crisis and ask the Russians what is going on and what they are doing about it.”

2008–The Year We’d Like to Forget–But Won’t

The British paper, The Daily Mail, wrote on December 31:

“Some years are infinitely forgettable… no one will fail to remember 2008. It will be a year to tell your grandchildren about…

“The year began – and ended – with President Mugabe of Zimbabwe still in power, despite having lost an election. Ever since, he has achieved the apparently impossible feat of deepening his people’s misery, starvation and oppression…

“There is still no sign that Iraq’s own politicians are willing to make common cause. As the Westerners leave, it seems most likely that Kurds, Sunnis and Shi’ites will each govern their own areas in their own way. It will be a miracle if they set about doing so without fighting a civil war…

“The British in Afghanistan lost faith in President Hamid Karzai, and in American policy based on support for his regime. The British Army’s casualties in Helmand province rose steadily…

“In Russia… Putin continues to pull all the levers, and to direct his country for the advantage of a handful of gangster oligarchs, of whom he is the richest. Little Georgia, next door, paid a savage price for seeming to challenge Moscow’s hegemony over a vast region…

“Iran continued building its own nuclear weapons, and North Korea seems to have weaved its way to keep doing the same. China savagely suppressed anti-government demonstrations in Tibet a few weeks before the Olympics.

“… this [was] the year in which the world’s great Money Madness has been catastrophically exposed. Trillions of pounds of supposed global wealth disappeared into an abyss, as surely as if they had vanished into the Bermuda Triangle… Today, the entire British banking system is in crisis… The British economy has entered a recession which threatens to prove the worst of modern times… The pound has fallen in value by more than a quarter against almost every other currency and is virtually equal with the much derided Euro.”

More Economic Pain in 2009

Reuters reported on December 31:

“More pain is expected in the near-term as bleak economic reports roll in, flagging more bankruptcies, bad debts and layoffs through at least early 2009, and more sleepless nights for everyone from central bankers to consumers struggling to pay off mortgages and credit card bills.

“The biggest financial crisis in 80 years, sparked by a U.S. mortgage meltdown, made this year one of the worst ever for investors as recession stalked the global economy.”

The Strength of the Euro

Deutsche Welle reported on December 29:

“The European single currency has acted as a windbreaker against the global financial storm for euro zone businesses and citizens… Consensus is widespread that the strength of the currency has done for some European countries what would have been impossible had they kept their original monies.

“The assessment came a few days ahead of the 10th anniversary of the euro being used as a virtual currency in accounting and financial transactions in the euro zone. Euro banknotes and coins were not introduced until Jan. 1, 2002. Former German central bank president Hans Tietmeyer said the 16 euro zone member states had so far escaped foreign exchange turmoil because of the single currency…

“Tietmeyer said the euro zone’s stable position has been underpinned by the creation of the Frankfurt-based European Central Bank (ECB) in 1998. ‘As a result, the single currency has without doubt benefited the people and the economy of Europe,’ he said…

“Having boosted trade among its members and created at least 16 million jobs since its inception, the euro has begun to firm as a premier globally reliable currency. The euro zone is responsible for 16.5 percent of global economic activity, while the euro currency accounts for over a quarter of the world’s official foreign reserves, up from 18 percent in 1998. This has led many Europeans to feel their currency will supplant the US dollar in global importance within the next five years…

“Tietmeyer said he expected the euro zone to weather the current storm… Euro zone membership is now obligatory for all new EU member states, while Britain, Denmark and Sweden have a right to maintain their traditional currencies… Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Baltic countries and Romania are all aiming to take up the euro within the next six years…”

Euro at New Record High Against British Pound

Reuters reported on December 31:

“The euro hit a fresh record high against sterling on Tuesday, extending a broad rally against most major currencies. The euro traded as high as 98.05 pence… up about 1.5 percent from late on Monday. Against the dollar, the euro was 1 percent higher at $1.4125.”

“EU to Take over US East Coast”

On December 31, the EUObserver reported:

“The east coast of the US – from South Carolina to Maine – will fall under EU influence as the US splits up in 2010 following an economic meltdown, Russian analyst Igor Panarin has predicted in a report. Canada, China and Mexico will take over the north, eastern and southern sections for their parts.”

Chicago–Politics, Politics… and More Politics…

On December 30, cbs2.chicago.com reported the following:

“A defiant Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday appointed a black political trailblazer in Illinois to Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat, a surprise move that put race front and center in the ongoing drama surrounding the scandal-tarred governor. The decision put his opponents in the uncomfortable position of vowing not to seat a veteran politician who would become the Senate’s only black member…”

cbs2chicago.com stated in a related article, on December 30:

“If Gov. Rod Blagojevich thought that he was regaining the political high ground, or at least a little credibility, with fellow Democrats by appointing former Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate, he was apparently mistaken… Sources on Capitol Hill tell CBS 2 Tuesday night the Senate will refuse to seat Burris… Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who must formally approve the appointment, says he won’t do it…

“That alone prevents the Senate from swearing in Burris on January 5. But what if White changes his mind, or if Burris tries to force a vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate? More drama. A sergeant at arms would physically bar Burris from entering, sources say. This happened once before, for a week, back in the late 19th Century.

“What’s most likely to occur in the Senate is a vote to halt Burris’ seating ‘pending the outcome of an investigation into the propriety of his appointment’ by the Senate Rules Committee. That investigation will likely have a 60-day period limit…

“The coup de grace to this scheme may have come from President-elect Barack Obama. While praising Roland Burris, Obama also said he agreed with the Senate Democrats who are pledging to refuse to seat anybody appointed by the governor. Sources say leaders in Springfield have assured Senate leaders that Blagojevich will be impeached and out of office by Valentine’s Day. The Senate can then label the Burris pick null and void, leaving Illinois’ next governor, Lt. Gov. Quinn, to select Obama’s replacement. Sources say that person would be sworn in immediately.

“Constitutional law professor Dawn Clark Netsch tells CBS 2 this appointment could likely be the subject of many lawsuits, one arguing the governor had to appoint a senator thus mandating Jesse White certify the appointment, and others questioning the U.S. Senate’s grounds for refusing to seat Burris… What remains to be seen, however, is whether Blagojevich is ready to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court.”

Global Warming–Worse Than Assumed?

Deutsche Welle reported on December 29:

“Climate change is happening more rapidly than anyone thought possible, the German government’s expert, Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, warned… Schellnhuber warns that previous predictions about climate change and its catastrophic effects were too cautious and optimistic. ‘In nearly all areas, the developments are occurring more quickly than it has been assumed up until now,’ Schellnhuber [said]…

“The Arctic sea ice is melting more quickly than expected. There are also signs that the entire climate pattern at the North Poll has been disrupted to the extent of causing irreversible change. For the Arctic, the global warming which has already occurred of 0.8 degrees Celsius has already stepped over the line, Schellnhuber said. If Greenland’s ice cap ice melts completely, water levels will rise by seven meters (23 feet). ‘The current coastline will no longer exist, and that includes in Germany,’ he said.”

Global Warming–Responsible for Natural Catastrophes in 2008…?

AFP wrote on December 29:

“Natural disasters killed over 220,000 people in 2008, making it one of the most devastating years on record… Although the number of natural disasters was lower than in 2007, the catastrophes that occurred proved to be more destructive in terms of the number of victims and the financial cost of the damage caused, Germany-based Munich Re said in its annual assessment.

“‘This continues the long-term trend we have been observing. Climate change has already started and is very probably contributing to increasingly frequent weather extremes and ensuing natural catastrophes,’ Munich Re board member Torsten Jeworrek said. Most devastating in terms of human fatalities was Cyclone Nargis, which lashed Myanmar on May 2-3 to kill more than 135,000 people and leave more than one million homeless.

“Just days later an earthquake shook China’s Sichuan province, leaving 70,000 dead, 18,000 missing and almost five million homeless… Around 1,000 people died in a severe cold snap in January in Afghanistan, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan, while 635 perished in August and September in floods in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Typhoon Fengshen killed 557 people in China and the Philippines in June, while earthquakes in Pakistan in October left 300 dead.

“Six tropical cyclones also slammed into the southern United States, including Ike which, with insured losses of 10 billion dollars, was the industry’s costliest catastrophe of the year. In Europe, an intense low-pressure system called Emma caused two billion dollars worth of damage in March, while a storm dubbed Hilal in late May and early June left 1.1 billion dollars’ worth.

“The earthquake in Sichuan province was the most expensive overall single catastrophe of 2008, causing around 85 billion dollars worth of damage, helping to make the year the third most expensive on record, Munich Re said.  With 200 billion dollars’ worth of damage, only 2005, when a large number of hurricanes slammed into the southern United States, and 1995, year of the Kobe earthquake in Japan, wreaked more destruction since records began in 1900.

“According to provisional estimates from the World Meteorological Organization, 2008 was the tenth warmest year since the beginning of routine temperature recording and the eighth warmest in the northern hemisphere. This means that the ten warmest years ever recorded have all occurred in the last 12 years, Munich Re said. ‘It is now very probable that the progressive warming of the atmosphere is due to the greenhouse gases emitted by human activity. The weather machine is running in top gear, bringing more intense severe weather events,’ it said.

“The number of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic in 2008 was much higher than the long-term average, and in terms of both the total number of storms and the number of major hurricanes, 2008 was the fourth most severe hurricane season since reliable data have been available, it said. The world needed ‘effective and binding rules on CO2 emissions, so that climate change is curbed and future generations do not have to live with weather scenarios that are difficult to control,’ board member Jeworrek said…”

Global Warming–Disproved?

The Telegraph wrote on December 29 that “2008 was the year man-made global warming was disproved.”

It continued:

“Easily one of the most important stories of 2008 has been all the evidence suggesting that this may be looked back on as the year when there was a turning point in the great worldwide panic over man-made global warming. Just when politicians in Europe and America have been adopting the most costly and damaging measures politicians have ever proposed, to combat this supposed menace, the tide has turned in three significant respects.

“First, all over the world, temperatures have been dropping in a way wholly unpredicted by all those computer models which have been used as the main drivers of the scare. Last winter, as temperatures plummeted, many parts of the world had snowfalls on a scale not seen for decades. This winter, with the whole of Canada and half the US under snow, looks likely to be even worse. After several years flatlining, global temperatures have dropped sharply enough to cancel out much of their net rise in the 20th century.

“Ever shriller and more frantic has become the insistence of the warmists… that the last 10 years have been the ‘hottest in history’ and that the North Pole would soon be ice-free – as the poles remain defiantly icebound and those polar bears fail to drown. All those hysterical predictions that we are seeing more droughts and hurricanes than ever before have infuriatingly failed to materialise.

“Even the more cautious scientific acolytes of the official orthodoxy now admit that, thanks to ‘natural factors’ such as ocean currents, temperatures have failed to rise as predicted…

“Secondly, 2008 was the year when any pretence that there was a ‘scientific consensus’ in favour of man-made global warming collapsed. At long last, as in the Manhattan Declaration last March, hundreds of proper scientists, including many of the world’s most eminent climate experts, have been rallying to pour scorn on that ‘consensus’ which was only a politically engineered artefact, based on ever more blatantly manipulated data and computer models programmed to produce no more than convenient fictions.

“Thirdly, as banks collapsed and the global economy plunged into its worst recession for decades, harsh reality at last began to break in on those self-deluding dreams which have for so long possessed almost every politician in the western world…

“Suddenly it has become rather less appealing that we should divert trillions of dollars, pounds and euros into the fantasy that we could reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 80 per cent. All those grandiose projects for ’emissions trading’, ‘carbon capture’, building tens of thousands more useless wind turbines, switching vast areas of farmland from producing food to ‘biofuels’, are being exposed as no more than enormously damaging and futile gestures, costing astronomic sums we no longer possess.

“As 2009 dawns, it is time we in Britain faced up to the genuine crisis now fast approaching from the fact that – unless we get on very soon with building enough proper power stations to fill our looming ‘energy gap’ – within a few years our lights will go out and what remains of our economy will judder to a halt…”

“Scientists Eye Swarm of Yellowstone Quakes”

The Associated Press reported on December 29:

“Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes for a third straight day Monday, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come. Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it’s very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days, said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah. ‘They’re certainly not normal,’ Smith said. ‘We haven’t had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years… This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to,’ Smith said…

“He said Yellowstone remains very geologically active — and its famous geysers and hot springs are a reminder that a pool of magma still exists five to 10 miles underground. ‘That’s just the surface manifestation of the enormous amount of heat that’s being released through the system,’ he said. Yellowstone has had significant earthquakes as well as minor ones in recent decades. In 1959, a magnitude 7.5 quake near Hebgen Lake just west of the park triggered a landslide that killed 28 people.”

As it is rightly pointed out in the question, the punishment, as described in the book of Zechariah, deals foremost with the MODERN descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah. It will be inflicted on them just prior to the return of Jesus Christ.

We understand that the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah include the peoples of the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the modern Jews (who live inside and outside the state of Israel). For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

The Bible contains many prophecies dealing with the sins and punishment of these nations. However, in this answer, we want to limit the discussion to the book of Zechariah.

When God challenged ancient Judah at the time of Zechariah, to get involved in the work of God, He explained to them that they were suffering at that time because of their SINS. God’s values have not changed–therefore, His anger towards ancient Judah and Israel because of their sins applies equally to modern Israel and Judah of our day, as they are engaged in the same kinds of sins and transgressions.

God spoke through Zechariah to ancient Israel and Judah, saying that He had been very angry with their fathers. He cautioned them not to be like their fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, encouraging them, without success, to repent. God also stated that His laws and commandments “overtook” them (compare Zechariah 1:2-6).

Amazingly, ancient Judah did finally repent in response to that challenge (verse 6, second half), even though their repentance was short-lived. It is to be hoped–but it is very unlikely–that MODERN Israel and Judah will also repent of their evil ways when they hear the Word of God proclaimed through God’s modern-day servants.

God also explained that when He was “a little angry” with Zion and Jerusalem, nations “helped–but with evil intent,” so that God became “exceedingly angry” with those nations (verse 15). Again, this prophecy is certainly dual and applies to our day and age as well.

God explained very clearly–in Zechariah 7:4-14–WHY He was angry with ancient Israel and Judah–and He tells us at the same time WHY He is angry with the modern descendants of these ancient houses:

“(4) Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, (5) ‘Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: “When you fasted and mourned… did you really fast for Me–for Me? (6) When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? (7) Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous… (9) Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother. (11) But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. (12) Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. (13) Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen, says the LORD of hosts. (14) But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”‘”

Again, this prophecy is dual. As it applied to ancient Israel and Judah, so it applies to us today. As God scattered ancient Israel and Judah “with a whirlwind”–that is, through invasion and war–“among all the nations,” so God will scatter the modern houses of Israel and Judah.

In speaking of OUR day, God tells us that the modern nations of Israel and Judah WILL repent, but only AFTER they have been held captive by foreign invaders. We read in Zechariah 8:7-15:

“(7) Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; (8) I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people, And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness… (10) For before these days… There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor… (13)… just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing… (14) Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath… And I would not relent, (15) So again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah… (16) These are the things you shall do; Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; (17) Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate…'”

Another aspect of God’s anger today over sinful Israel and Judah is their willingness and eagerness to fight wars, which are not approved of or endorsed by God. But God says that this will be changed, and this will be accomplished by Jesus Christ: “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim [Great Britain] And the horse [symbolic for war machines like tanks] from Jerusalem [the state of Israel]; The battle bow shall be cut off” (Zechariah 9:10).

God also pronounces His punishment against the religious leaders of ancient and modern Israel and Judah, in Zechariah 10:3: “My anger is kindled against the shepherds, And I will punish the goatherds [leaders]… ” The context with verse 2 indicates that those religious leaders were engaged in (and that they approved of) idolatry, divination and the preaching of a false hope.

God continues to explain that He allowed His people to be defeated in war and become captives of war. This prophecy is most certainly dual and refers also to our time and age, as God points out that He will free them from their captivity and bring them back to the Promised Land. This did NOT happen in history, as the tribe of “Joseph” never returned. Notice Zechariah 10:6-10:

“(6) I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph [the modern English-speaking nations of the USA and the British Commonwealth]. I will bring them back [out of captivity and slavery], Because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside… (9) I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; they shall live together with their children, And they shall return. (10) I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt And gather them from Assyria [modern German-speaking peoples]… (11) Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the scepter of Egypt shall depart.”

Another remarkable prophecy for our time, which is directed against the modern English-speaking nations (and the religious and political leaders) of the USA and the British Commonwealth, and their future captivity and slavery, can be found in Zechariah 11, beginning with verse 4:

“Thus says the LORD my God, ‘Feed the flock for slaughter, (5) whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich; and their shepherds do not pity them. (6) For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land, says the LORD. But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.'”

Notice that this is written in a future tense and for a future time. It pronounces events which will still occur, and it was written AFTER both ancient Israel and Judah had already gone into captivity, and AFTER the tribe of Judah had already returned to Jerusalem and had begun to build the temple.

Notice the continuation of this prophecy, beginning in verse 8, referring to three powerful religious and/or political leaders:

“(8) ‘I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me…’ (14) Then I cut in two my other staff… that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.”

This indicates that in the times just ahead of us, the close relationship between the USA and Britain on the one hand, and the state of Israel on the other hand, will cease. The future will have to show who the three shepherds will be who will be “dismissed” “in one month.”

God continues to prophesy that a worthless shepherd–a political or religious leader–will arise apparently just after the dismissal of the three shepherds and just prior to Christ’s return. This worthless shepherd will only care for himself. We read, beginning in verse 16:

“(16) For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. (17) Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

When God intervenes, He will cleanse the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their sin and uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1). He will wipe out idolatry and cause the false prophets and their evil demonic spirits to depart from the land (verse 2). This shows the depth of deprivation which will have overtaken the land prior to Christ’s return. That is WHY God made the following terrible pronouncement for our time and age:

“(8) And it shall come to pass in all the land, Says the LORD, That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: (9) I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested.”

Continuing in Zechariah 14:2: “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity.”

But then, so we are told, beginning in verse 3, God will intervene and fight for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the modern peoples of Israel and Judah who have been brought into slavery and captivity, because of their terrible sins which cry to high heaven. God’s warnings are sure and certain, and they will come upon all of us very soon–unless we repent.

And even though the modern nations of Israel and Judah will–in all probability–not repent in time to prevent defeat in war and captivity, individuals can be spared. Those who turn to God and are willing to follow His direction in obedience to His law, have been promised protection from the evil and terrible times to come. And we DON’T mean some kind of supernatural secret rapture to heaven–a concept which the Bible does NOT teach. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and,”Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation!”

It is up to each and every one of us to heed God’s warning and to act accordingly, so that we can be “counted worthy to escape all these things that WILL come to pass” (Luke 21:36).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

New StandingWatch program and German Sermon

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch, GoogleVideo and YouTube. It is titled, “Is Homosexual Conduct Sinful?” In the program, Norbert Link pointed out that Pope Benedict declared this week that saving humanity from homosexual behavior was just as important as saving the rainforest. The reaction of portions of the gay community was swift and predictable. The Pope’s words were characterized as “agitating,” “threatening,” “totally irresponsible” or “absurd.” What does the New Testament say about this question? Many have misunderstood the biblical teaching in this regard.

Norbert Link recorded a sermon in German (“Gedenke des Sabbattages…”), which was posted on Google Video and on our German Website, AufPostenStehen. The sermon discusses the Sabbath in general and especially the Sabbath covenant in Exodus 31; the creation of the Sabbath for man; the reinforcement of the Sabbath in relationship with the giving of the Manna; and the pronouncement of the Ten Commandments; and it quotes many admissions from Catholic and Protestant commentators to the effect that the Sabbath was not abrogated in the Bible, and that Hebrews 4:9 enjoins it for Christians today.

Recent Comments from our StandingWatch Viewers

Program on “Is Homosexual Conduct Sinful?”:

— A truly balanced presentation with real answers and hope.

— To be homosexual is NOT a sin. It is mentioned less than 5 times in the Old Testament – and these are injunctions against male prostitution/concubines/gross hedonism. Jesus DID NOT condemn or even mention gays! Yet – there are hundreds of biblical injunctions against RAPE, ADULTERY, DIVORCE, INCEST, and hetero hedonism. Which is the more serious problem? The answer becomes obvious – and obvious that the church has persecuted gays unjustly!

— The view presented is not a popular one in today’s world where continued acceptance and tolerance is the norm. If the Bible only said once that being homosexual was wrong, that would be enough for me.

— God did not make anyone homosexual anymore than He made someone a thief, or an adulterer, this is why we need to repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord the Bible says for the remission of sins, if you do not believe that then stop pretending to believe the Bible.

— It is good to hear the truth of God’s words from the Bible, it is the only real guide to making the changes in our lives that will lead us in to the coming kingdom of God. Keep proclaiming the Bible truths.

— It’s clear to me how God views homosexuality. Marriage is meant for a man and a woman, and His creation is beautiful.

— The views of the Pope is that of an uneducated person who comes from the middle ages. The Bible is NOT written by God. It is written by man for those (the masses) who had no formal education. It guided the people at the time however we have since moved on. I am an Atheist!

— You handled the latest Standing Watch in a gentle, delicate and restrained manner. You will get criticized no matter what you speak on since man is hostile towards God’s laws. 

Program on “Our Terrible Healthcare System“:

— Thanks again for another “tell it like it is” video! We truly are sick from the head down. Until we repent and turn to the True God and begin to obey Him we will only continue to spiral down to our demise. He alone is the only One who can heal us physically and spiritiually! Keep telling it like it is! Maybe someone will get the message.

Program on “No Christmas in the Early Church”:

— Thanks again for another great program of telling the truth the way it is. It is absolutely amazing how this particular holiday has become a worldwide celebration – in all it’s different forms. Guess we know who is behind that, eh? Anything to get man to take their eyes away from the True God and what He has decreed to be His True Holy Days. Thanks again!

On Saturday, December 27, 2008, Eric Rank and Robb Harris will give split sermons, titled, respectively, “Feedback Loops” and “Serving God”.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

During this time of year it’s difficult to not hear bell ringers outside of stores asking you to donate your spare change.  Bins are conveniently placed in supermarkets to donate cans of food for those who are hungry.  Trucks will even show up at your door and pick up clothing to help warm people in this cold wintery season.

It would take very little effort on our part to help the disadvantaged during this season.  Shouldn’t we then take advantage of this easy way to alleviate at least some suffering in this world?  After all, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble…” (James 1:27).  It would SEEM right to give during this time of the year, but we must not fail to take into consideration the latter part of verse 27, “…and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

As good as donations might be in helping those who suffer, most given during this holiday season will be used to propagate pagan traditions.  We are warned about taking part in this kind of activity: “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me’” (Matthew 15:7-8).  No matter how good giving might feel, if we are adding to the traditions of men, we will also be driving people away from God—something we must strive NOT to do!

The poor are still hungry and in need of help outside of this season, and giving our assistance shouldn’t merely be emptying our cupboards and pockets of unwanted items during the month leading to Christmas. 

Christ said we should have a giving attitude to those who demand something of us.  We should walk an extra mile or offer our shirt in addition to our coat.  Service to our brother means sacrifice of ourselves—not the superficial offerings that this season inspires.

Incredible SCANDAL–How Bailed-Out Banks Pilfer Taxpayers’ Money

The Associated Press reported on December 21:

“Banks that are getting taxpayer bailouts awarded their top executives nearly $1.6 billion in salaries, bonuses, and other benefits last year… The AP compiled total compensation based on annual reports that the banks file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The 116 banks have so far received $188 billion in taxpayer help. Among the findings:

“–The average paid to each of the banks’ top executives was $2.6 million in salary, bonuses and benefits.

“–Lloyd Blankfein, president and chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs, took home nearly $54 million in compensation last year. The company’s top five executives received a total of $242 million.

“–This year, Goldman will forgo cash and stock bonuses for its seven top-paid executives. They will work for their base salaries of $600,000, the company said… It received $10 billion in taxpayer money on Oct. 28.

“– Even where banks cut back on pay, some executives were left with seven- or eight-figure compensation that most people can only dream about. Richard D. Fairbank, the chairman of Capital One Financial Corp… took a $1 million hit in compensation after his company had a disappointing year, but still got $17 million in stock options. The McLean, Va.-based company received $3.56 billion in bailout money on Nov. 14.

“–John A. Thain, chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch, topped all corporate bank bosses with $83 million in earnings last year… Like Goldman, Merrill got $10 billion from taxpayers on Oct. 28…”

Incredible SCANDAL–“Where’d the Bailout Money Go? Shhhh, It’s a Secret…”

The Associated Press reported on December 22:

“… after receiving billions in aid from U.S. taxpayers, the nation’s largest banks say they can’t track exactly how they’re spending the money or they simply refuse to discuss it. The Associated Press contacted 21 banks that received at least $1 billion in government money and asked four questions: How much has been spent? What was it spent on? How much is being held in savings, and what’s the plan for the rest? None of the banks provided specific answers…

“There has been no accounting of how banks spend that money. Lawmakers summoned bank executives to Capitol Hill last month and implored them to lend the money… But there is no process in place to make sure that’s happening and there are no consequences for banks who don’t comply… Congress attached nearly no strings on the $700 billion bailout in October. And the Treasury Department, which doles out the money, never asked banks how it would be spent.”

Where Are Today’s Political Leaders with Convictions?

Welt On Line, a conservative German paper with friendly support of Germany’s conservative party, the CDU, published a remarkable article about former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt who is a member of the center-left SPD party. The article is especially remarkable, as it contrasts Schmidt’s strong convictions–which were and are not always popular–with the faltering temporary political “preferences” of many present-day political leaders. We are quoting the following excerpts:

“Helmut Schmidt, a chain-smoking former German chancellor, celebrates his 90th birthday on Tuesday amid an improbable revival in popularity for a prickly man with no-nonsense views that contrast sharply to many current leaders. Schmidt may not have scaled the heights of popularity while Chancellor of West Germany for eight turbulent years. ‘Schmidt is the star of German politics, its icon. No one is admired as much as he is,’ Der Spiegel wrote…

“According to a survey by the Forsa polling institute, Schmidt ranks as the ‘coolest guy in Germany’ and he tops several other polls as the country’s most popular leader… Schmidt, married to his high school sweetheart for 66 years, made his mark as a local crisis manager in 1962 Hamburg floods. That reputation he burnished as chancellor with his handling of economic crises and his mastery of a 1970s leftwing urban guerrilla campaign of bombing and assassination — a test of fire for a still relatively young German democracy…

“ZDF television commented: ‘Schmidt is a completely different leader compared to this generation that knows firm convictions today will lead to certain electoral defeat tomorrow.’

“The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper marvelled at Schmidt’s popularity, saying his tenacity and crisis management makes current Chancellor Angela Merkel pale by comparison. ‘We’ve now got a chancellor whose greatest achievement is that she is Germany’s first woman chancellor,’ the paper wrote. ‘It seems this grumpy gentleman with the cane fulfills a deep yearning for strong and confident political leadership… None of today’s professional politicians accomplished anything in their lives, except perhaps graduating from university.’“

“Worst Financial Crisis Since Great Depression”

AFP reported on December 21:

“The governor of the Bank of Spain on Sunday issued a bleak assessment of the economic crisis, warning that the world faced a ‘total’ financial meltdown unseen since the Great Depression. ‘The lack of confidence is total,’ Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez said…

“‘The inter-bank (lending) market is not functioning and this is generating vicious cycles: consumers are not consuming, businessmen are not taking on workers, investors are not investing and the banks are not lending. There is an almost total paralysis from which no-one is escaping,’ he said, adding that any recovery — pencilled in by optimists for the end of 2009 and the start of 2010 — could be delayed if confidence is not restored… ‘This is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression’ of 1929, he added.”

Reuters reported on December 24 that “The United States fell deeper into recession, data showed on Wednesday, as the number of people filing for jobless benefits hit a 26-year high last week and consumers cut spending for the fifth consecutive month… Nearly 2 million U.S. workers have lost jobs this year, driving the unemployment rate to 6.7 percent…”

The article continued:

“Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said, ‘Japan cannot avoid the tsunami of the world recession… The world economy is in a once-in-a-hundred-years recession. We need extraordinary measures to deal with an extraordinary situation,’ he said.”

AFP added on December 24:

“Russia and China issued stark warnings on Wednesday about the impact of the crisis on their recently booming economies in 2009, with Moscow saying the downturn could spark unrest in the streets. Japan also approved a record-high budget aimed at avoiding the worst effects of the crisis and Germany prepared to pump [40] billions of euros into the economy in a new rescue plan in a holiday season marred by a slew of economic bad news…

“Economists have warned that the global downturn could mean that China will end 2008 with its weakest economic growth for nearly two decades. China has not posted annual growth of less than 7.6 percent since 1991.”

Germany–“The Calm Before the Storm”

On December 18, 2008, Der Spiegel Online wrote the following:

“As the year draws to a close, and as the world faces recession, a credit crunch and job worries, the economic outlook is the bleakest it has been in postwar history. The next year is expected be a test of strength for the German economy…
“Economists are predicting new alarming scenarios for 2009 almost every day…

“Despite the crisis, the coalition government in Berlin has not shown much leadership strength. Officially, Chancellor Angela Merkel of the conservative Christian Democrats continues to oppose additional large-scale government bailout programs. Merkel’s finance minister, Peer Steinbrück of the center-left Social Democrats, seems to prefer quarreling with the British and French who, he insists, are frittering away their money with their bailout packages. In doing so, he has also angered many…

“As Bavaria’s new governor, Seehofer is trying to demonstrate his strength in the run-up to next September’s federal election. Party politics, it seems, has distorted much of the government’s response to the crisis. In November, the chancellor warned the public to be prepared for ‘a year of bad news.’ Never in the 60-year history of the Federal Republic of Germany have citizens been this anxious as they enter a new year, plagued by worries of how much worse things can get and, most of all, how safe their jobs are…

“What is most astonishing is the incredible speed with which the crisis is spreading from one company to the next… The Americans, deeply in debt, can no longer afford products made in Germany…

“Over the course of the year, well-known German companies like retailer Hertie, watchmaker Junghans and fashion house Wehmeyer have become insolvent, and another wave of bankruptcies could follow in 2009… the government cannot set everything straight. In fact, it is probably far less capable of doing so than politicians believe.”

Germany’s Schizophrenic Role in the Iraq War

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 19:

“German lawmakers have been probing the schizophrenic role of the Schröder administration in resisting America’s invasion of Iraq. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was in the hot seat this week, and German commentators don’t believe everything he’s said. The grilling received on Thursday by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister and a candidate for chancellor in 2009, was intense. He was answering to a parliamentary committee investigating whether German intelligence provided meaningful assistance to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 [as has been claimed by former US military leaders, including Generals Tommy Franks and James Marks]. And his credibility is on the line…

“Steinmeier is under the gun because Berlin was so emphatic about being against the US-led invasion. His boss at the time, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, ran for re-election in 2002 on an anti-war platform. Were it proven that German agents had provided valuable intelligence that helped that invasion, it would cast a shadow on those who were part of that government, including Steinmeier, who at the time was Schröder’s chief of staff, and Joschka Fischer, who was Schröder’s foreign minister. Such a revelation certainly would do nothing to help Steinmeier’s 2009 campaign for the Chancellery as the Social Democratic candidate.

“Fischer also testified on Thursday, but the media spotlight was trained firmly on Steinmeier. And he stuck to his guns, calling the comments from the US military leaders ‘outlandish’ and ‘ludicrous.’…”

But–the question is: WHOSE comments are ludicrous and outlandish?

War Against Somali Pirates

The International Herald Tribune wrote on December 23:

“Germany called Tuesday for an international court to be set up to prosecute Somali pirates who have attacked scores of vessels this year, threatening global trade in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes… German lawmakers agreed last week to send up to 1,400 soldiers and a frigate… to the Gulf of Aden as part of the EU mission.

“Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung of Germany… said the German soldiers, who will provide protection to ships delivering food aid to Somalia would have a ‘robust’ mandate. ‘Obviously there will be combat situations,’ he said.”

In a related article, the paper stated on December 23:

“Chinese warships on a mission to protect their country’s vessels and crews from pirate attacks off Somalia will depart Friday, armed with special forces, helicopters and plans to share information with other countries working in the area.

“The operation, China’s first major naval mission abroad, will include the destroyers Haikou and Wuhan as well as a large supply ship… On board will be two helicopters and traditional weapons like missiles and cannons… China announced it was sending warships to the area after the United Nations Security Council authorized nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases.”

Belgium Again In Political and MORAL Crisis

Deutsche Welle reported on December 22:

“Belgium’s King Albert II accepted Leterme’s resignation following a Belgian Supreme Court report on allegations that his aides had sought to influence a court ruling connected with the break-up of Belgian bank Fortis. The collapse of the government was the country’s third political crisis in under a year, and leaves five coalition parties to fight over who should pick up where Leterme left off.

“The political crisis leaves Belgium facing a period of deep uncertainty at the worst possible time, with the economy sliding into recession and investors’ confidence at a low as a result of the global financial crisis.”

Russia Threatens the West

Mail-on-Line reported on December 23:

“Vladimir Putin has unveiled a triple whammy of threats and provocation for Britain and the West… In moves certain to further undermine diplomatic ties with London and Washington, Mr Putin… [w]arned that Britain faced winter gas shortages if supplies from Russia were disrupted because of his bitter dispute with Ukraine; [t]hreatened to supply surface-to-air missiles to Iran, despite Western concerns over its nuclear ambitions; and [l]ined himself up to be appointed president for a third term after Moscow’s parliament rubber stamped constitutional changes overturning a law that only allowed two four-year periods as leader…

“Russia also said last night it plans a massive increase in armaments. It will spend £100billion from 2009 to 2011 on 400 new types of weapons, including 300 tanks, 14 warships and almost 50 planes… Russia will continue to rely on its huge arsenal of nuclear weapons, commissioning 70 strategic nuclear missiles over the next three years.”

Anti-Semitic Internet Statements Against Madoff and Jewish Community

AFP reported on December 19, 2008:

“Anti-Jewish commentary is flooding the Internet in the wake of Bernard Madoff’s arrest on charges of masterminding one of the biggest Wall Street frauds in history… Madoff, 70, is Jewish and a prominent member of the powerful US Jewish community. He is alleged to have defrauded investors, including a number of Jewish-related charities, of some 50 billion dollars.
 
“‘Site users have posted comments ranging from deeply offensive stereotypical statements about Jews and money — with some suggesting that only Jews could perpetrate a fraud on such a scale — to conspiracy theories about Jews stealing money to benefit Israel,’ the [Anti-Defamation League] said in a statement.”

Worldwide Internet Services Not THAT Reliable

Deutsche Welle reported on December 20:

“Internet and phone connections between Europe, the Middle East and Asia have been severely disrupted after three underwater cables were severed and it may take until Dec 31 before normal service is re-established… It is thought that 65 percent of traffic to India was down, while services to Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Taiwan and Pakistan have also been severely affected…

“An afternoon toll [sic] released by France Telecom said that 100 percent of traffic was lost in the Maldives Indian Ocean islands, with the Gulf state of Qatar and Djibouti, on the Gulf of Aden, also losing over 70 percent of their traffic.

“The submarine cables are jointly owned by several dozen different countries… ‘If there was just one cable down we could have used the other two,’ said France Telecom spokesman Louis-Michel Aymard. ‘But all three are down so this puts us in a very difficult situation. This is a very rare situation,’ he said.”

The Pope Speaks Out Against Homosexual Conduct

The Herald International Tribune wrote on December 22:

“Pope Benedict said Monday that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction…

“The Catholic Church teaches that… homosexual acts are [sinful]. It opposes gay marriage… The pope said humanity needed to ‘listen to the language of creation’ to understand the intended roles of man and woman. He compared behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations as ‘a destruction of God’s work.’

“He also defended the Church’s right to ‘speak of human nature as man and woman, and ask that this order of creation be respected.'”

The reaction of Europe’s gay community to the Pope’s speech was predictable and swift.

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 24:

“In Germany, Volker Beck, an out gay man with the Green Party, described the pope’s statements as ‘agitating words.’ And Uta Ranke-Heinemann, a prominent German critic of the pope, described Benedict’s words as ‘a threatening message to homosexuals.’ She said his views could not be left unchallenged, adding that the history of homosexuals in Christianity has been a ‘bitter one.’

“‘As soon as the Christians came to power, they immediately sought to eradicate homosexuals,’ the theologian told SPIEGEL ONLINE. Ranke-Heinemann was the world’s first woman to be given a professorship as a Catholic theologian. For one and a half millennia, she said, Christians ‘burned homosexuals on the pope’s orders.’

“Meanwhile, Rev. Sharon Ferguson of Britain’s Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement described his statements as ‘totally irresponsible.’ The head of the Inclusive Church in England, accused the pope of ‘spreading fear that gay people somehow threaten the planet.’ That, he said, ‘is just absurd.’

“Aurelio Mancuso, the head of the Italian gay rights organization Arcigay… said he was deeply disturbed by such church-directed discrimination. ‘Last year was a bad enough year for homosexuals in Italy, and we are very concerned.’ The number of violent attacks in the country against gays and their organizations has risen dramatically in Italy in the past year. ‘All signs are pointing towards a confrontation,’ said Mancuso. ‘People are really scared.'”

Frightening Greek Christmas Myths–“Twelve Days of Christmas or Hell”?

On December 19, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“Who says Santa Claus is the only one trying to come down your chimney during the festive season? According to Greek mythology, a gaggle of goblin-like spirits are trying to slide into homes — and instead of presents they are intent on leaving a trail of destruction.

“As the Greeks tell it, it wouldn’t be hard to confuse the Twelve Days of Christmas with the Twelve Days of Hell. That is if you believe in the Kallikantzaroi. These mythical, goblin-like spirits are said to pop up between Christ’s birthday and Epiphany on Jan. 6, days they devote to wreaking their unique brand of havoc…

“Opinions differ on what they look like… [Some] say the Kallikantzaroi resemble humans with dark complexions, ugly, very tall beings that sport iron clogs. Others say they’re short and swarthy, with red eyes, cleft hooves, monkeys’ arms, and hair-covered bodies…

“For most of the year the Kallikantzaroi live in the bowels of the earth, but they creep out during the Twelve Days of Christmas, venturing out under the cover of night…

“In recent years, the Christmas tree has grown in popularity throughout Greece. But some Greeks prefer the old ways, opting instead for a sprig of basil suspended over a water-filled bowl. Once a day someone in the home, usually the mother of the family, uses the sprig to sprinkle water throughout the house to ward off the creatures.

“The only reliable cure-all, however, is when village priests bless the waters on the eve of Epiphany, which marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas. They have been known to visit homes to sprinkle holy water fragranced with sweet basil to chase away the evil spirits for another year. On the eve of Epiphany in Cyprus, villagers scatter pancakes on the roof to give the Kallikantzaroi something sweet to eat as they prepare to head out of town, perhaps to show there are no hard feelings.”

Samuele Bacchiocchi Died at Age 70

On December 21, 2008, WorldNetDaily wrote:

“Biblical scholar [and theology professor] Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, best known for his teachings on how Sabbath observance shifted toward Sunday worship in much of Christendom, died yesterday [Saturday, December 20] at his Michigan home at the age of 70 after a two-year battle with fourth-stage liver cancer…

“Bacchiocchi earned his doctorate in Church History at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was awarded a gold medal by Pope Paul VI for his summa cum laude class work and dissertation, ‘From Sabbath to Sunday: A Historical Investigation of the Rise of Sunday Observance in Early Christianity.’ A Seventh-Day Adventist, Bacchiocchi believed there was no Scriptural mandate to change or eliminate Sabbath-keeping, and he singled out the Catholic Church for its role in changing the day.

“‘The Church of the capital of the empire, whose authority was already felt far and wide in the second century, appears to be the most likely birthplace of Sunday observance,’ he wrote. Bacchiocchi previously told WND: ‘Anti-Judaism caused the abandonment of the Sabbath, and pagan sun worship influenced the adoption of Sunday.’… Bacchiocchi also explained the influence of pagan sun worship provides a ‘plausible explanation for the Christian choice of Sunday’ over the day of Saturn. Its effect wasn’t just limited to Sunday. It apparently led to the placement of Jesus’ birth in late December.

“‘The adoption of the 25th of December for the celebration of Christmas is perhaps the most explicit example of sun worship’s influence on the Christian liturgical calendar,’ Bacchiocchi wrote. ‘It is a known fact that the pagan feast of the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti – the birthday of the Invincible Sun, was held on that date.'”

As we will see, the entire Word of God that was written down to become a part of what is called the “Bible,” has been preserved through various copies and translations and is available to us, today!

However, the question arises as to which manuscripts should be included and actually constitute the true Scriptures of the Bible. Major religions differ on this most vital consideration. For instance, the Jewish religion uses only those books commonly called the Old Testament, Hebrew Bible or Tanakh. Modern copies are primarily based on the Masoretic Text that dates from between the seventh and tenth centuries AD. None of the New Testament books are accepted as a part of the Hebrew Bible.

A Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, was developed sometime during the 3rd and 2nd century B.C. While this was commonly used by Jewish communities throughout the Middle East well past the time of the founding of the Church of God on Pentecost in 31 A.D., additional, spurious books (called the “apocrypha”) were also translated and included in some copies. Of the 15 apocryphal books then extant, all appear in this Greek translation with the exception of 2 Esdras. They were not included in the canonical Hebrew Bible (Masoretic Text).

Not understanding the prophetic declarations from the Scriptures concerning the Messiah, the Jewish nation still looks for a Deliverer. However, the record of Jesus precisely and exactly fulfilling the messianic prophecies is revealed in the New Testament (compare Matthew 21:33-46; Acts 4:8-12). Jesus very boldly declared that He fulfilled the promises of God, as recorded in the Old Testament (John 5:37-40; Luke 24:25-27, 44). Based on the fact the Jews have utterly rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, they have cut themselves off from the entire, written Word of God—they do not have the complete Bible!

On the other hand, let us also understand that the preservation of the Old Testament was a responsibility that was given to the Jews, and it is one that they certainly fulfilled.

Paul states, “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles [sayings, Scriptures] of God” (Romans 3:1-2).

We have this additional statement from Jesus regarding the role given to those of Judah (including Levites): “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes AND TO HIS DISCIPLES, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do’” (Matthew 23:1-3). As mentioned, they did not include or preserve the apocryphal writings in the Old Testament Scriptures, showing that they are not part of the inspired Hebrew Bible.

One other example of applying this is in the keeping of the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days. True Christians who observe these commanded Feast Days still refer to the Jewish oversight of the Hebrew calendar.

Next, we need to consider the New Testament. Is it complete, or have some important books been left out? On the other hand, does the New Testament contain apocryphal additions like the Septuagint? The Bible itself provides foundational answers to these questions! Consider what the apostle John wrote concerning his own account of Jesus Christ in the book of John:

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).

By John’s statement we understand that only certain aspects of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ were recorded—that many other things could have been written. Furthermore, what is written is for the purpose of revealing God’s plan of Salvation.

As time went on in the first generation of the Church of God, letters were written and circulated to the churches in various areas (compare Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; and 2 Peter 3:15-16). Some of these letters also now make up a part of the New Testament. Peter referred to Paul’s epistles as part of Scripture (compare again 2 Peter 3:16). By writing down the record of events about Jesus Christ and of His teachings, the authors were doing exactly what they were commissioned by Jesus to accomplish:

“‘But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” (Acts 1:8; also, compare Luke 24:46-48; Acts 10:39-43; 13:31).

We have four accounts, called the gospels, which introduce the New Testament. A reason for this might include a principle given in the Old and New Testament, “‘”…by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established”’” (Matthew 18:16; compare Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; 2 Corinthians 13:1). Luke substantiates this need—echoing the same objective for his account as we have already read from John:

“Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:1-4).

Yet, there arose those individuals who sought to change the teachings of these witnesses. Paul warned that “‘…from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves’” (Acts 20:30; also, compare 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). False ministers also wrote counterfeit letters—even forging Paul’s name to them (2 Thessalonians 2:2). John was confronted by such a false leader who rejected John and any who were brethren of his—the true followers of Christ (compare 3 John 9-10).

It is the apostle John who is credited with assembling the final canon of the New Testament. In Floyd Nolen Jones’ book, “Which Version Is The Bible?,” this remarkable statement is made: “The apostle John’s long life enabled him to bear apostolic witness to the true text of Scripture and canon until almost the year 100 at which time his hand-trained associates carried forward that same witness. Upon returning from his banishment to the isle of Patmos, John completed the sacred Canon by composing his Gospel, epistles and Apocalypse. Then combining these with the writings of the other Evangelists, he sanctioned them all with apostolic authority.”

While this quote reflects the studied opinion of the author following extensive research, his view is supported by Halley’s Bible Handbook, 24th edition, 1965, page 743, in which writers such as Clement of Rome (95 A.D.), Polycarp (110 A.D.) and Ignatius (110 A.D.) already quote various books that are a part of the New Testament canon.

John was most likely the last of the apostles to die, and he is the one who received the vision of the Book of Revelation—the final book of the New Testament (Revelation 1:1-2). Consider, though, that the true Church of God was being supplanted by a false Christianity, and those who remained faithful did so out of public—and for the most part—historical view.

While we don’t have many specific historical records beyond the books of the New Testament themselves concerning the writing of the New Testament, we do find many documents that date from after the time of the apostles and those who were their contemporaries. Later writers make reference to the books of the New Testament, but there are also many spurious writings claiming to have equal status. Examples of early apocryphal works are the Gospel of Thomas, the Epistle of Barnabas and the Epistle to the Laodiceans.

Partial copies of the New Testament proliferated in the centuries following the founding of the Church of God, along with an abundance of apocryphal writings—especially, the second and third centuries. Deciding what was true and what was false fell on issues of historical accuracy along with whether or not there was agreement with the doctrines of the Bible—both Old and New Testaments.

John 17:17 states, “‘…Your word is truth.” Based on this consistent teaching throughout Scripture, there can be no example of opposing doctrines being taught. Christ emphasized that Scripture cannot be broken or contradictory (John 10:35). This fact has helped to rule out the inclusion of those fanciful stories and legends that arose from humanly conceived philosophies and religions.

A guiding admonition about the written Word of God is given in the Bible:

“‘Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it’” (Deuteronomy 12:32; also, Deuteronomy 4:2).

Note, too, Revelation 22:18-19: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Those who break this solemn warning not only bring judgment upon themselves, but they will be held accountable for deceiving others with their falsehoods. People who rely on extraneous writings do not have the complete Bible!

Remember what the purpose of the written Word of God is [and we have this promise from Jesus Christ—our way of proving what is “…that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2)]: “‘…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32). Also, note Christ’s statement in John 7:17: “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether [someone speaks] on [his] own authority.”

(NOTE: Discussion of this question will be continued in a future Q&A).

Lead Writers: Dave Harris and Norbert Link

Reminder–US Contributions for 2008:

Donations and contributions received with letters postmarked in 2008 AND with enclosed written checks, dated in 2008, will be included in the detailed donation receipts for 2008. These receipts will be printed and sent out in mid-January of 2009. Cash contributions must also be received prior to January 1, 2009 (or, if sent by letter, the letter must be postmarked in 2008), in order to be included in the donation receipts for 2008. All contributions not falling into the categories described above will not be included in the donation receipts for 2008.

New Sermon and StandingWatch program:

Norbert Link’s sermon, “Bible Study: Live in Peace, Part 2,” dated December 20, 2008, has been posted on Google Video and on our Websites.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “Our Terrible Healthcare System.” In the program, Norbert Link is asking the question, Why are political promises to provide universal healthcare illusionary and unrealistic? Insurance companies are charging astronomical figures for premiums which very few can afford. Many doctors and hospitals seem to be incapable of correctly diagnosing certain sicknesses, let alone curing them. Listen to some personal examples regarding incompetent or outrageous treatment of sick persons. Is there no way out of this disastrous spiral, which is destroying our nation?

Recent comments from our StandingWatch viewers:

Program on “No Christmas in the Early Church”.

— Thank you for reminding everyone of the REAL truth about christmas! I don’t understand how the whole world is in the worst economic financial crisis since the Great Depression ( maybe even surpass that!) and people are still spending money they don’t have on christmas gifts, which will bring the debt even higher. People can’t and will not let go of christmas! It’s a hoax and a lie!!!!

— Praise the Lord! I am happy to know brothers in Christ around the world don’t celebrate this. Let’s pray that God [will] open the eyes of many more Christians.

Program on “Our Terrible Healthcare System” [Google Video and YouTube]:

— As a former healthcare worker, I could not agree more with your assessment on this country’s healthcare system The fact that Congress had to enact the “Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act” earlier this year supports your critique as well. Now that my husband and I are self-employed, we have gone without health insurance for a number of years because of the premium and deductible costs. Fortunately, we’ve been relatively healthy and have not incurred debt as a result of medical bills.

— What I find sad is the only place we have “In God We Trust” is on money. I really think it is not sincere and only a sick joke from whoever put it there. As if the money is their god.

— I like this video and it’s so true. I was sick for a long time with unforgiveness in my heart, when I finally forgave and asked for forgiveness I was healed very rapidly. I like your vid[eo]s, keep posting!

by Shelly Bruno
 
Almost missing the Feast of Tabernacles this year, due to a sudden sickness of my son, has given me a new perspective about my church family. Frankly, I had been taking attendance at the Feast for granted. I am blessed with a place to attend services every Sabbath and fellowship with other believers. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fully appreciating that blessing until I was faced with the reality of observing the Feast alone. As much as I tried to have a “Feast spirit” over 1,000 miles away from the brethren—what I really wanted was to share that spirit with my church family—in person!
 
Spending time every Sabbath and on Holy Days with those who are led by God’s Spirit strengthens my resolve during the week and throughout the year. I know that my spiritual brothers and sisters also face trials or experience times of joy, and we can share that. Many times in conversation at church services, someone has said something to me that stuck. It might have been a few simple words of encouragement, or even some challenging words that helped me rethink my approach to overcoming a problem.

I’ve been inspired by others’ ability to tackle their trials, encouraged by supportive words, and simply been made to feel connected to God’s spiritual family. We don’t always know how we can affect one another, but we do. Thankfully, as it turned out, I was able to attend the second half of the Feast with God’s family. Although members of this family may not all share the same blood, what we do share is so much more important–God’s Holy Spirit. This blessing of family is something I now appreciate more fully, and as I look forward to Sabbath services each week, I’ll remember that family matters!

On Saturday, December 20, 2008, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Live in Peace, Part 2.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Perhaps no other need for us is greater than achieving a clear focus about our role as Christians in the darkening days of the end of this age!

As the world teeters on the edge of ever-unfolding volatile and dangerous events, we know that there is more to come—much more! In very direct and sobering terms, Jesus said that we would come to a time of trouble that would be taking place all over the world, calling this period just “‘…the beginning of sorrows’” (Matthew 24:8).

He went on to address His disciples—who would be alive in this prophetic period—saying that they would not know exact dates, but that they must watch and be ready. The inference is to live in a constant state of readiness.

One danger we are warned about is to think that Jesus is delaying His return. The fruits of that attitude would cause us to start losing our focus on God’s Kingdom.

In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke of an “‘evil servant’” who “‘…begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards’” (verses 48 and 49).

In Luke 21, Jesus is quoted in more detail about those living in this tumultuous generation: “‘But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly’” (verse 34); and, “‘Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man’” (verse 36).

One way we can sharpen our focus to be able to clearly understand the unfolding of end time events is to be a part of the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. We need to participate by reading, listening to and watching the messages given through the Church: member letters; weekly updates; booklets; StandingWatch programs; sermons and sermonettes; and building the bonds of fellowship to strengthen one another. On this last point, we have this reminder:

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, AND SO MUCH THE MORE as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Those who do these things—and continue to do them—are the “chosen ones,” the “special treasure” of God. We have God’s promise to those of His servants who remain faithful in these awesome times of trial: “‘And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but FOR THE ELECT’S SAKE those days will be shortened’” (Matthew 24:22). Never lose sight of God the Father; of our Savior Jesus Christ; of our need to use mightily and consistently the power of the Holy Spirit; and of the promise that awaits us in the everlasting Kingdom of God–the focus for Christians, clearly.

The Demonic Origin of Christmas Traditions

As we reported in Update 371, the Austrian Krampus–the demonic “alter ego” of “St. Nicholas”–finds its counterpart in Germany in a demonic personage accompanying “St. Nicholas,” known as “Knecht Ruprecht.” He performs the same function as the Austrian Krampus, terrifying and punishing children.

But Austria and Germany are not the only European countries which manifest clear and obvious evidence of the demonic and pagan origins of our modern Christmas traditions and celebrations.

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 12, 2008, about the Italian “witch of Christmas,” as follows:

“Italy has its own Father Christmas. But it’s La Befana, the ugly, broom-flying and present-wielding witch who keeps children on their toes in many parts of the country. Like St. Nick, Befana knows who’s been naughty and nice.

“A strange post-Christmas pilgrimage takes place each year in the hills of northeastern Italy’s Le Marche, when thousands of kids flock to a small medieval town called Urbania to sit on the lap of an ugly old witch. On the eve of Jan. 6, La Befana flies down chimneys or through keyholes throughout Italy to have her say over who’s been naughty or nice…

“Like many Christian traditions, Befana has pagan roots, as a good witch who played the role of Mother Nature and was celebrated in December for providing life throughout the year.”

In addition to Italy’s “good” WITCH of Christmas, please take note of the “Black Pete” of Netherlands–another counterfeit of Krampus and Knecht Ruprecht. Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 5, 2008:

“Myths about Santa’s sinister helpers are as widespread in Europe as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. In parts of Germany, Knecht Ruprecht brings terror into the hearts of naughty children when the gift-giving season arrives. In Austria it’s Krampus, the horned devil who torments adolescents with asocial tendencies. In France, Pere Foutard does the proverbial whipping… But in no country is the tale of Santa’s diabolical sidekick as bizarre as in the Netherlands, home to Zwarte Piet (‘Black Pete’).

“The story of Black Pete is unique on the continent and it is also one of Europe’s oddest and most titilating Christmas traditions — one that tends to raise the eyebrows of foreign visitors and local immigrants. No small number of people see the yuletide character as a racist emblem of Holland’s colonial past… Many say it was Holland’s Sinterklaas who inspired America’s modern-day Santa… Unlike Santa, who lives at the North Pole, Sinterklaas resides in sunny Spain… With his gold crosier, red bishop’s dress and red mitre, he’s far more ecclesiastical looking than his portly American counterpart…

“Perpetually in tow is Sinterklaas’ slave, Black Pete. At least that’s what he was called from his 19th century origins up until the 1950s… In the new tale told to children each year, that pesky black face paint on Zwarte Piet’s face comes from soot collected as Santa’s helper wriggles down chimneys to deposit branches in the shoes of badly behaving kids or to help deliver presents from Sinterklaas for the good ones. Some whitewashers of this racist little tale also like to say he’s a chimney sweep. ‘It’s just an excuse used by people because they don’t like to be reminded of the dark nature of Black Pete’…”

However, the real origin of the “dark nature” of Black Pete has nothing to do with his color. Notice the following comments by the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, pointing at the REAL ORIGIN of the Black Peter of the Netherlands (“Schwarze Piet”):

“According to myths current before the beginning of the 19th century, Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) operated by himself or in the companionship of a devil… Some sources indicate that in Germanic Europe, Zwarte Piet originally was such an enslaved devil forced to assist his captor… The character is believed to have been derived from pagan traditions of evil spirits… The traditions of the Saint Nicholas feast are in part at least of medieval origin, if not much older. St. Nicholas himself, as described in the Dutch tradition shows some similarities to Wuotan/Odin, which suggests that the duo have a pre-Christian origin.”

Our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” explains in detail the relationship between Nordic pagan gods, such as Wotan or Odin, and the modern Santa Claus.

Obama Stimulus Could Reach $1 Trillion

Reuters reported on December 13:

“President-elect Barack Obama’s team is considering a plan to boost the recession-hit U.S. economy that could be far larger than previous estimates and might reach $1 trillion over two years…

“The administration of President George W. Bush has been given authority by Congress to spend up to $700 billion in taxpayer money to rescue the nation’s banking system…”

“Most of the Largest U.S. Banks Are Totally Bankrupt”

Reuters reported on December 11:

“Jim Rogers, one of the world’s most prominent international investors, on Thursday called most of the largest U.S. banks ‘totally bankrupt,’ and said government efforts to fix the sector are wrongheaded… [He] said the government’s $700 billion rescue package for the sector doesn’t address how banks manage their balance sheets, and instead rewards weaker lenders with new capital…

“‘What is outrageous economically and is outrageous morally is that normally in times like this, people who are competent and who saw it coming and who kept their powder dry go and take over the assets from the incompetent,’ he said. ‘What’s happening this time is that the government is taking the assets from the competent people and giving them to the incompetent people and saying, now you can compete with the competent people. It is horrible economics.’…

“Many analysts cite Lehman’s Sept 15 bankruptcy as a trigger for the recent cratering in the economy and stock markets. Rogers called that idea ‘laughable’… ‘Governments are making mistakes,’ he said. ‘They’re saying to all the banks, you don’t have to tell us your situation. You can continue to use your balance sheet that is phony…. All these guys are bankrupt, they’re still worrying about their bonuses, they’re still trying to pay their dividends, and the whole system is weakened.'”

Alleged Wall Street Investment Scam Affects Banks Worldwide

AFP reported on December 15:

“Top world financial groups on Monday revealed massive potential losses from an alleged scam run by Wall Street trader Bernard Madoff, admitting they were fooled by a classic pyramid investment fraud.

“British, French, Japanese and Spanish banks and funds said investments totalling billions of dollars (euros) could be wiped off their balance sheets by a scandal that is set to affect some of the richest people in the world.

“Royal Bank of Scotland said it could lose about 400 million pounds (598 million dollars, 444 million euros), joining a growing list of banks and investors in Europe, Asia and the United States struck by the scandal…

“Madoff, a 70-year-old Wall Street veteran, was arrested last Thursday. He is alleged by US prosecutors to have confessed to defrauding investors of 50 billion dollars in a long-running scam that collapsed after clients asked for their money back as a result of the global financial crisis… US authorities allege that Madoff delivered consistently strong returns to clients by secretly using the principal investment from new investors to pay out to other investors in the scheme, a version of what is known as ‘pyramid fraud’… This fraud is also known as a ‘Ponzi scheme’…”

U.S. Housing Market–How Bad Is It Really?

USA Today reported on December 12:

“As painful as the decline has been, history suggests home values still may have a long way to drop and may take decades to return to the heights of 2½ years ago… So far, home values nationally have tumbled an average of 19% from their peak. As bad as that is, prices would need to fall at least 17% more to reach their traditional relationship to household income… In that scenario, a $300,000 house in 2006 could be worth about $200,000 when real estate prices hit bottom.

“The price plunge has wiped out trillions of dollars in home equity and caused the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression… Wachovia economist Adam York expects home values to keep falling until 2010 but is optimistic they will recover… Consider a couple with $20,000 cash. In 2006, they easily could get a 5% down mortgage to buy a $400,000 house. Today, a 10% down payment would limit the couple to a $200,000 house.”

Depression in Canada Possible

AFP reported on December 16:

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a grim forecast for the Canadian economy, saying… a depression is possible. “‘The truth is, I’ve never seen such uncertainty in terms of looking forward to the future,’ Harper told CTV. ‘I’m very worried about the Canadian economy’… Harper also said his finance minister’s budget on January 27 would include billions of dollars in stimulus spending… ‘Obviously, we’re going to have to run a deficit,’ Harper said. ‘We’re talking about spending billions of dollars that was not planned.'”

Mr. Obama’s Race–and the American Melting Pot

On December 14, The Associated Press wrote the following:

“A perplexing new chapter is unfolding in Barack Obama’s racial saga: Many people insist that ‘the first black president’ is actually not black. Debate over whether to call this son of a white Kansan and a black Kenyan biracial, African-American, mixed-race, half-and-half, multiracial — or, in Obama’s own words, a ‘mutt’ — has reached a crescendo since Obama’s election shattered assumptions about race.

“Obama has said, ‘I identify as African-American — that’s how I’m treated and that’s how I’m viewed. I’m proud of it.’ In other words, the world gave Obama no choice but to be black, and he was happy to oblige. But the world has changed since the young Obama found his place in it.

“Intermarriage and the decline of racism are dissolving ancient definitions. The candidate Obama, in achieving what many thought impossible, was treated differently from previous black generations. And many white and mixed-race people now view President-elect Obama as something other than black…

“Rebecca Walker, a 38-year-old writer with light brown skin who is of Russian, African, Irish, Scottish and Native American descent, said she used to identify herself as ‘human,’ which upset people of all backgrounds… ‘Of course Obama is black. And he’s not black, too,’ Walker said. ‘He’s white, and he’s not white, too. Obama is whatever people project onto him … he’s a lot of things, and neither of them necessarily exclude the other.’

“But U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield, a black man who by all appearances is white, feels differently… ‘Obama has chosen the heritage he feels comfortable with,’ he said. ‘His physical appearance is black. I don’t know how he could have chosen to be any other race. Let’s just say he decided to be white — people would have laughed at him’…

“The entire issue balances precariously on the ‘one-drop’ rule, which sprang from the slaveowner habit of dropping by the slave quarters and producing brown babies. One drop of black blood meant that person, and his or her descendants, could never be a full citizen. Today, the spectrum of skin tones among African-Americans — even those with two black parents — is evidence of widespread white ancestry. Also, since blacks were often light enough to pass for white, unknown numbers of white Americans today have blacks hidden in their family trees. One book, ‘Black People and their Place in World History,’ by Dr. Leroy Vaughn, even claims that five past presidents — Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge — had black ancestors, which would make Obama the sixth of his kind…

“‘We do not have our first black president,’ the author Christopher Hitchens said on the BBC program ‘Newsnight.’ ‘He is not black. He is as black as he is white’…

“Latinos, whom the census identifies as an ethnic group and not a race, were not counted separately by the government until the 1970s. After the 1990 census, many people complained that the four racial categories — white, black, Asian, and American Indian/Alaska native — did not fit them. The government then allowed people to check more than one box. (It also added a fifth category, for Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.)

“Six million people, or 2 percent of the population, now say they belong to more than one race, according to the most recent census figures. Another 19 million people, or 6 percent of the population, identify themselves as ‘some other race’ than the five available choices.”

Arab World Hails Shoe Attack on President Bush

AFP reported on December 15:

“Iraq faced mounting calls on Monday to release the journalist who hurled his shoes at George W. Bush [during Mr. Bush’s recent visit and press conference in Iraq], an action branded shameful by the government but hailed by many in the Arab world as an ideal parting gift to the unpopular US president… Soles of shoes are considered the ultimate insult in Arab culture. After Saddam’s statue was toppled in Baghdad in April 2003, many onlookers beat the statue’s face with their soles…
 
“‘The flying shoe speaks more for Arab public opinion than all the despots/puppets that Bush meets with during his travels in the Middle East,’ said Asad Abu Khalil, a popular Lebanese-American blogger and professor at Stanislaus University in California…”

Israel Warns the World Against Iran

Haaretz.com reported on December 18:

“Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned Wednesday that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, it could try to attack the United States… ‘If it built even a primitive nuclear weapon like the type that destroyed Hiroshima, Iran would not hesitate to load it on a ship, arm it with a detonator operated by GPS and sail it into a vital port on the east coast of North America,’ Barak told the audience.

“Indicating the possibility of a military strike, Barak said, ‘We are not taking any option off the table, and we recommend to the world not to take any option off the table, and we mean what we say.'”

German Right-Wing Extremism on the Rise

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 15:

“Right-wing extremism is widely perceived as a problem confined to eastern Germany. Yet Saturday’s knife attack on the police chief of Passau [Alois Mannichl] shows it is well established in Bavaria too… Mannichl is regarded as a committed enemy of the violent far-right scene…

“Bavaria’s interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, said the assault showed that far-right violence had reached a new level… ‘We must take this escalation of violence very seriously.’

“Bavaria has a well-established neo-Nazi scene. The domestic intelligence service estimates that there are around 1,100 violent neo-Nazis in Bavaria and around 10,000 in Germany. In Passau alone, the number of far-right crimes doubled to 83 this year compared with 2007.”

“Germany’s Weakest Economic Performance Since World War II”

Deutsche Welle reported on December 13:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier have dampened expectations of a second economic rescue package, saying there won’t be any speedy decisions…

“Meanwhile, the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel reported that government experts expect Europe’s largest economy to contract by two percent next year. This would be Germany’s weakest economic performance since World War II.”

“Germany Against the Rest of the World”

Welt On Line wrote on December 13:

“German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck vilifies Britain’s financial stimulus plan in an interview with American magazine Newsweek, saying that making VAT cuts won’t solve the problem, but rather will build a national debt that will take at least a generation to pay off. The problem? Everyone seems to be against Germany’s solution. German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck has angered some by openly criticizing European economic rescue packages. The tone seems to be getting bitter in the discussion about what is the correct reaction to the global economic downturn.

“After Britain invited French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso for talks ahead of the EU summit, and didn’t invite German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck hit back.

“’Are you really going to buy a DVD player because it now costs £39.10 instead of £39.90?’ he asks, taking a gibe at British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in an interview with American magazine Newsweek. Brown has cut the interest rate from 17.5 percent to 15 percent to relieve the financial burden slightly for the British population in addition to stimulating the nation’s economy. Yet, in Steinbrueck’s opinion, all Brown’s plan can achieve ‘is raise Britain’s debt to a level that will take a whole generation to work off’.

“Steinbrueck’s comments are the best proof for the differences in opinion between Germany and its partners. The French and the British want to stimulate the economy with public funds, but Germany refuses to abide. This causes irritation not only because Germany, as Europe’s leading economy, should lead the stimulus-movement, but also because the global export champion had made profits from the boom of the others.

“Paul Krugman, the recent recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences, referred to Steinbrueck as dumb, saying that a refusal to cooperate with debt-financed stimulus packages can cause severe damage. Steinbrueck’s interview also left a sour taste in Britain, where the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) described it as an ‘unusual break of diplomatic customs’…”

Anglo-German Dispute Deepens

The Independent wrote on December 13:

“Britain has formally protested to the German government about the stinging attack on Gordon Brown by its Finance Minister, deepening the Anglo-German dispute over the Prime Minister’s economic strategy. Sir Michael Arthur, the British ambassador in Berlin, raised strong objections with the German Finance Ministry over the remarks by Peer Steinbrück, who branded Mr Brown’s £20bn fiscal stimulus ‘crass’ and ‘breathtaking’.

“David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, denied knowledge of the complaint. But the British embassy in Berlin confirmed that Mr Steinbrück’s criticism was raised by Sir Michael, a clear sign that the Brown Government was rattled by the attack. A spokesman said the ambassador had made it clear that, ‘we fundamentally disagreed with the comments made by Peer Steinbrück’.

“Yesterday, the pound fell to a record low against the euro for the fifth day running, dropping to €1.1191 amid fears that the British economy would be among the hardest hit by the recession…”

Pound and Dollar Drop Further Against the Euro

The Telegraph wrote on December 15:

“Sterling slumped further this morning, leaving the currency worth just 90p against the euro for the first time since the launch of Europe’s single currency, as concern about the depth of Britain’s recession dominates foreign-exchange markets…

“Steve Barrow, currency strategist at Standard Bank said he was ‘fearful’ for the pound which he believes could fall to parity against the euro in 2009.”

The Financial Times added on December 17:

“The US currency suffered its biggest one-day slide against the euro since the birth of the single European currency in January 1999 as the euro jumped from under $1.40 to above $1.44… Following the Fed meeting on Tuesday, which reduced interest rates to a range of zero per cent to 0.25 per cent, US rates are now lower than those in Japan for the first time since 1993…”

Bloomberg elaborated on December 17:

“The world’s biggest currency-trading firms say the dollar’s appeal as a haven amid the financial crisis all but evaporated… The dollar is likely to decline ‘longer term,’ analysts including New York-based Ashraf Laidi at CMC Markets wrote in a report… The Fed’s debt purchases will cause the dollar to weaken…, analysts led by Robert Sinche, New York-based head of global currency strategy at Bank of America Corp., wrote in a report yesterday… ‘Those temporary supports for the dollar appear to have eroded,’ Sinche wrote. ‘Aggressive quantitative easing by the Fed should add to U.S. dollar supply globally and undermine the value of the dollar’…

“The dollar’s decline against the euro compares with a similar move in the early 1990s, indicating the U.S. currency may weaken to a record low… next year, Citigroup Inc. strategists Tom Fitzpatrick in New York and Shyam Devani in London wrote in a research note… The U.S. currency’s drop is becoming ‘broader-based,’ Jens Nordvig a New York-based strategist for the U.S. securities firm, wrote today. ‘Temporary dollar demand from deleveraging and funding flows has come to an end.'”

Deadly Disease Affects Great Britain

The Daily Express wrote on December 15:

“Millions face being struck down by a deadly winter vomiting bug sweeping the country. Scores of hospitals have been forced to close wards to new patients as they struggle to cope with the influx of norovirus sufferers…

“As the crisis deepens, health campaigners are warning that hospitals face going into ‘complete meltdown’ over Christmas and New Year. Last year more than three million people were struck down by the bug as it reached epidemic levels. Now experts are warning that the virus could affect even more this year.

“It appears to be taking hold much earlier than usual… At its height last year the virus, which causes projectile vomiting, diarrhoea, mild fever and headaches, was striking down more than 200,000 a week. The illness can prove deadly for the vulnerable –  children and the elderly.”

Secret Talks on New EU President and EU Foreign Affairs Minister

The Telegraph wrote on December 12:

“EU leaders have agreed a ‘path’ offering Ireland concessions ‘with a view to enabling the Treaty to enter into force by the end of 2009’. Negotiations on the EU President and Foreign Affairs posts created under the Lisbon Treaty stopped in June when the Irish [voted] ‘No’.

“… with a new Ireland deal done, diplomats have confirmed secret talks on the job description of the EU President and the size of a new European diplomatic service, will now begin – months before the Irish vote again… Candidates for the two top EU jobs will be chosen at a summit in December 2009 after intense work is carried on throughout next year…

“EU leaders will promise that under the deal, Ireland will keep a permanent European Commissioner along with legal guarantees that Brussels will not interfere with the country’s military neutrality, taxation, social and ethical issues… The second Irish referendum is expected to take place next autumn once details of opt-outs and concession are concluded in June 2009.”

The Irish Government “Betrayed” Its People

The EUObserver wrote on December 11:

“The French president yesterday told the group leaders of the European parliament that he has made a deal with the Irish government to hold a second referendum in Ireland to ratify the Lisbon treaty first rejected on 12 June by 53 percent of Irish voters. None of the representatives of the Irish people who voted No to the Lisbon Treaty were consulted by the Irish government before they struck a deal with the French Presidency. The Irish government has simply ignored the result of the referendum and betrayed those people who voted No in the majority…”

There are indeed numerous Scriptures in the Old Testament, including in the book of Zechariah, which give precise details on the appearance of the Messiah about 2,000 years ago. As those passages can be found throughout the pages of the Old Testament, this fact alone proves the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

For instance, we find literally dozens of biblical references to Christ’s First Coming in the book of Isaiah. We are just quoting a few selected examples:

Isaiah 7:14 states that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (which means, literally, God with us.)” This prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, as Matthew 1:18-23 tells us. Isaiah 6:9-10 foretells the fact that the people would not listen to the Messiah’s preaching and warnings (compare Matthew 13:14-15). Isaiah 9:1-2 states that the Messiah would stay temporarily in the land of Zebulon and Naphtali (compare Matthew 4:13-16). Isaiah 11:1 foretold that the Messiah would be a descendant of Jesse and David (compare Matthew 1:5-6, 25; Luke 3:23, 31-32). Isaiah 29:13 foretold that the people had rejected the commandments of God and replaced them with the traditions of men (compare Matthew 15:7-9). Isaiah 42:1-4 foretold the exact manner of the Messiah’s preaching (compare Matthew 12:16-21). Isaiah 49:8-9 [and also Isaiah 61:1-2] foretold that the Messiah would preach the gospel and proclaim spiritual liberty (compare Luke 4:16-19).

Isaiah 50:6 prophesied that Christ would be beaten and spit on (compare Matthew 27:26, 30). Isaiah 53:1 prophesied that the people would not believe the report or warning message brought by the Messiah (compare John 12:37-38). Isaiah 53:3-5 prophesied that the Messiah would heal people, due to His own physical suffering and the stripes, which He would receive from the Romans (compare Matthew 8:16-17). Isaiah 53:8 stated that He would be “taken from prison and from judgment,” foretelling that His “trial” and “conviction” would be illegal even according to human law (For more information on these startling prophecies, see Part 4 of our free booklet, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery,” pages 41-65).

Isaiah 53:12 foretold that He would pray for the transgressors at the time of His death (Luke 23:34). Isaiah 53:12 also stated that “He was numbered with the transgressors.” This was fulfilled in more than one way, by the two robbers crucified with Him, and by His own disciples, compare Matthew 27:38 and Luke 22:35-38. Isaiah 53:12 also foretold that He would bear “the sin of many,” which found its obvious fulfillment in Christ’s death (compare Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 Peter 2:24).

The books of Psalms are also filled with prophetic references to Christ’s First Coming.

Psalm 8:2 foretold that children would greet and welcome the Messiah at His First Coming (compare Matthew 21:16). Psalm 16:10 foretold that the Messiah would not stay in the grave, but that He would be resurrected soon after His death so His body would not see corruption (Acts 2:25-35). Psalm 22:7 revealed in advance that He would be ridiculed, while dying on the cross (Matthew 27:39-44). Psalm 22:14, 17 prophesied that the Messiah would be crucified (Matthew 27:26; John 12:32-33). Psalm 22:18 stated that soldiers would cast lots and divide His garment among themselves (Matthew 27:35). Psalm 34:20 foretold that none of Christ’s bones would be broken (compare John 19:33, 36).

Psalm 41:9 foretold that the Messiah would be betrayed by one of His friends who would eat bread with Him (Luke 22:21; John 13:18). Psalm 69:21 prophesied that He would be given vinegar to drink for His thirst (John 19:28-30). Psalm 78:2 foretold that the Messiah would speak in parables (compare Matthew 13:34-35). Psalm 118:22-23 prophesied that the Messiah would be rejected by the builders, but that He would become the chief cornerstone for His Church (compare Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:6-10). Psalm 118:26 foretold in advance the exact words with which the people in Jerusalem would greet the Messiah (compare Matthew 21:9).

We find in the book of Numbers (24:17) that, in relationship to the birth of the Messiah, a star would come out of Jacob (compare Matthew 2:2). In addition, a striking prophecy can be found in the book of Micah (5:2), referring to Christ’s birth: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” Compare the record of the fulfillment of this prophecy in Matthew 2:1-12.

Hosea 11:1 foretold that the Messiah, as a child, would stay temporarily in Egypt (compare Matthew 2:14-15). And Jeremiah 31:15 told us in advance about the horrible murder of the Jewish children at the time of Herod (compare Matthew 2:16-18).

Malachi 3:1 prophesied the appearance of a messenger just prior to the manifestation of the Messiah’s First Coming to prepare a people for Him. This prophecy found its fulfillment in John the Baptist, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (compare Matthew 11:7-10; Mark 1:2-4).

Even though the book of Zechariah deals foremost with the time of Christ’s Return–the Second Coming of the Messiah–it also contains several references to events which took place during His First Coming.

Zechariah 9:9 reports that Christ, the just King offering salvation, would appear lowly, “riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” The fulfillment of that prophecy is recorded in John 12:14-15. Zechariah 9:9 also shows that His entrance in Jerusalem would be triumphant, as we read: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!” This prophecy was fulfilled just prior to Christ’s betrayal and arrest, compare Mark 11:8-10.

In Zechariah 11:12-13, we are told that Jesus would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (compare Matthew 26:14-16), and that the money would be thrown into the house of the LORD–the temple–for the potter. This was fulfilled, exactly as stated; compare Matthew 27:3-10. Please note that Matthew 27:9 says that Jeremiah, too, gave this prophecy in advance. But it says that Jeremiah the prophet SPOKE those words, apparently, without writing them down in the book of Jeremiah. The prophecy was RECORDED, however, in Zechariah 11:13, as we have seen.

Zechariah 12:10 refers to the fact that the Messiah would be pierced. We are told in the New Testament that a soldier pierced Christ’s side with a spear, causing His death on the cross (John 19:34-37). For the exact manner of Christ’s death, please read our free booklet, “Jesus Christ–a Great Mystery,” pages 78-79. The passage in Zechariah 12:10 is quoted in Revelation 1:7, referring to Jesus Christ.

Another possible reference to the piercing of Christ’s hands at the time of His crucifixion (compare John 20:25) can be found in Zechariah 13:6, where we read, in the Authorized Version: “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”

Finally, Zechariah 13:7 foretells that all of Christ’s disciples would leave Him at the time of His arrest, prior to His crucifixion and resurrection: “… Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered…” Compare, for the exact fulfillment of that prophecy, Matthew 26:31-32 and Mark 14:27-28.

It is truly remarkable how these and many other Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ at the time of His First Coming. Jesus Himself insisted that ALL prophecies written about His earthly life were, and had to be fulfilled (Luke 24:25-27, 44-46; compare Matthew 26:51-56).

Based on this testimony of Scripture regarding things which are past, we can have complete and total confidence in the infallibility of prophecies dealing with the future. As Christ came as a humble servant to die for us, so He WILL come again as the KING of kings to rule for and with us (Revelation 5:8-10; 20:4, 6; Daniel 7:13-14, 26-27). He said time and again that He WILL return–and soon (John 14:3; James 5:8-9; Revelation 22:12, 20).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Terry McQuire’s Funeral

Terry McQuire’s funeral took place on Monday, December 15, at Beeston Cemetery Chapel, near Nottingham, England. Terry, who was 72, had been a faithful and loyal member of the Church of God since the 1960’s. Brian Gale officiated at the service, which was followed by interment at a nearby cemetery. Terry was buried alongside his wife, Jean, who died in June of 2005 from a brain tumor. Terry is survived by two children, Kathryn and Mark, and 4 grandchildren. 

The chapel for the service was full, with all the standing room at the back of the chapel completely occupied which is an indication of the love and esteem in which he was held. He will be greatly missed.

Terry had said that the Feast of Tabernacles at Chatsworth House just a few weeks ago was the best Feast he had ever had. Even though he was terminally ill at the Feast, he shared his chalet with others and was still of service to everyone, as he had always been. During the Feast he, alongside with John Dunn, was interviewed by Norbert Link for the StandingWatch program (“Comfort in Terminal Sickness”), which can be seen on our Website and on Google Video and YouTube.

Norbert Link’s sermon, “Bible Study: Live in Peace,” dated December 13, 2008, has been posted on Google Video and on our Websites.

The German video program on Christmas was posted on our Web (www.AufPostenStehen.de) and on YouTube.

Our Technical Team is developing an outstanding new layout and design for our StandingWatch Website. More information will be announced very soon.

Recent Comments from our StandingWatch Viewers:

— Thanks for another great program [on No Christmas in the Early Church]. This message needs to be heard in the whole world. I’ll keep praying that these programs find their way to those that have an ear to hear.

— Good job. As a Christian I have not celebrated it for twenty two years, and I abhor it more and more every year.
 
— Fear mongering has its place in the rhetorical toolbox; however, you shouldn’t use it [referring to Food Shortage in the USA]. You sound too much like Hitler. Sorry.

— He sounds like Stalin, but he is right about the self-destruction caused by those who break and rebuild the structures and the systems of the nations and the world [and] the life of the poor.